Articles in Category: ask-leo.com
These are articles that have been migrated from the old “ask-leo.com” site but have NOT yet been cleaned up or otherwise updated. They’re here primarily as a reference. We’ll be updating the more important and popular ones over time.
Is it ".html" or ".htm", and when do I need a trailing '/' when typing a URL into my browser?
Designers and implementers make a lot of choices when setting up a web site. Names and domains and even the need for slashes are among them.
Why is my computer picking up radio stations and sounds?
Radio might accidentally show up on your computer several different ways. We’ll look at some of the possibilities for accidental computer radio.
What alternatives are there to FrontPage?
FrontPage is a popular web page design tool, but there are many alternatives depending on exactly how you want to write and design web pages.
How do I block people from finding information about me on the internet?
Once information has been posted on the internet and can be found, it’s nearly impossible to remove it. The internet has a long and persistent memory.
How can an anti-malware program possibly scan all my files in a reasonable amount of time?
Anti-malware software is amazingly tuned and optimized for doing what it does. On top of that, scanning all your files might not always be needed.
Why am I getting warnings from your newsletter and site links?
A recent newsletter surfaced warnings from a couple of security services. As a result, we’ll look at what false positives are, and what to do.
Why are there duplicate entries in Task Manager, and how do I clean it out?
Many programs are designed such that they will appear more than once in Task Manager. We’ll look at why that is, and when you should care.
My Windows Live Hotmail contact list has been hacked, how do I recover?
Once your Windows Live Hotmail account, or contact list, has been hacked or compromised, there are several steps to clean up after you get it back.
How do I install SP2 if I get "Access Denied" or some other failure when I try?
Installing SP2 can fail for a few different reasons. “Access Denied” might be fixable, or might require more aggressive measures to install SP2.
How do I block Internet Explorer 8 (IE8) from being automatically installed?
Internet Explorer 8 is being pushed out through Windows Update and Automatic Updates. If you’re not ready, there are ways to block the IE8 update.
Can I prevent phishing attacks by using a bookmark?
You can prevent phishing attacks several ways; the most common is to never click on an emailed link. Bookmarks can be also be used to prevent phishing.
What do I need to set up using my Windows XP virtual machine software?
Virtual machine software is incredibly powerful, but hard to conceptualize. Viewing a VM as a separate machine can make certain issues clearer.
How do I save email when using Yahoo, GMail or Hotmail webmail?
To save mail from a webmail service you need to download it to your machine. Not all webmail services make saving email easy, so we improvise.
How do I remove the latest IE update – Internet Explorer 8?
The latest IE update – Internet Explorer 8 – causes problems for some people. It might be easy to remove the IE update, or it might be a lot of work.
How do I do a computer defrag if I have no "My Computer" icon?
A computer defrag is most often accessed by hard disk drive properties on My Computer. We can recover My Computer, and defrag without it too.
Will adding a bogus entry to my address book stop viruses from emailing?
There’s an email floating around that says you can prevent email viruses by adding a bogus entry to your address book. Uh … no.
NoScript – A Firefox addin that makes browsing safer.
With cross-site-scripting and other forms of malicious attacks increasing in frequency, blocking JavaScript with NoScript is a sensible safety step.
Why does so much spam have a part of some other email or document in it?
A recently common technique in the war to send you spam is to include a lot of unrelated text in the message. We’ll look at why this often works.
How do I install a pre-installed Microsoft Office on another machine?
Office is a popular pre-install on many new computers. If you didn’t also get a CD, you should. Installing or reinstalling is a problem without it.
Why do I suddenly have another toolbar in my browser?
Browser toolbars come from two places: the browser, and addons or toolbars you ask for. It’s easy to ask for toolbars without realizing it.
What is the Recovery Console, and how do I get at it?
The Windows Recovery Console is an advanced repair tool that can in some cases help you to repair and recover from certain types of system problems.
What's hogging my machine for so long on startup?
When you first start up your machine many programs are run automatically. If one hogs resources it can make your machine temporarily unusable.
How do I get a new IP address?
Getting a new IP address on the internet can be difficult. The real issue is that a new IP address may not solve the problem you’re facing.
How should I share my home network with a visitor?
When hosting guest in your home it’s common to allow them to access your internet connection. There are serious risks depending on your level of trust.
Why can't I change user-specific folder and variable names?
When you rename a user account in Windows you might expect that the user specific folders would be renamed. Sadly, you’d be wrong.
How do I uninstall only Microsoft Outlook?
Microsoft Office includes several programs, including Word, Excel and Outlook. Uninstalling only one of them is fairly easy using Office Setup.
Can I block email from certain sites?
Most email programs and services allow you to block, or at least divert, email from specific senders and domains. I’ll look at a few techniques.
Why do cookies have my name in them, and do the sites I visit see that?
Cookies are used by websites to place data on your computer that they can access when you visit again. IE uses your name to keep track of your cookies.
Why is Windows Live Hotmail rejecting email I send my friend?
Spam prevention methods can often lead to legitimate mail being blocked by mistake. We’ll look at some of the ways to avoid it.
What’s Your Social Media Strategy?
I use Twitter, Facebook, Flickr and LinkedIn – and I actually have a little bit of a plan around how I use each.
Skeptic.com – Tools, information and education for skeptical thinkers
Every day we’re faced with outlandish claims and unverifiable statements. Now, more than ever, it’s important to be skeptical on the internet.
Do I need to install software for my monitor?
Many hardware add-ons come with installation CDs. Some need the additional software, some actually do not. The trick is guessing what’s really needed.
Does archiving compressed files increase the chance of corruption?
Compressing files prior to archiving to CD or DVD doesn’t increase the chance of corruption, but could dramatically increase the impact, if it happens.
2008 Most Popular Questions
A breakdown of the 10 most popular questions as measured by visits to Ask Leo!
Someone Has Stolen My Email Address. Can You Help?
We’ll use one person’s situation as a lesson in what not to do, and turn that around into a some steps and advice to keep your account and stay safe.
What will happen when Microsoft stops supporting Windows XP?
As official support for Windows XP is phased out, what you can expect from Microsoft will change. Fortunately, it will phase out over a fairly long time.
What's the difference between subscribing to a website via RSS and Email?
EMail and RSS Feeds are two different ways to get content. Often a site offering both will provide the same to both, but it’s not a requirement.
Is it safe to install an infected drive into a working machine to clean it?
One approach to disinfecting a drive is to install it into another machine for cleaning. It’s common, reasonable even, but there are risks.
I can't pass a firewall test, what should I do?
Firewall tests can be useful to identify any holes in your security. Rather than relying on simple Pass/Fail, though, examine the results carefully.
I Googled my phone number and it turned up my home address – is that legal?
The publicity of your phone book listing hasn’t changed, but its ease of access has changed dramatically. Should you care? What are the implications?
What's the best way for a non-profit group to interact online?
Getting a group, any group, to interact effectively online can be a challenge. Sometimes it’s a technology issue, but more often than not … it’s not.
How do I keep using a program past its free trial period?
Trial software packages use various techniques to enforce the trial period. There’s one sure way to keep using software after the period has expired.
Someone has stolen my Windows Live / MSN Hotmail Account and is scamming my contacts. What can I do?
Scammers are stealing email accounts and trying to convince your contacts that you’re in trouble and need money. I’ll look at your options for Hotmail.
How do I stop my computer from being a zombie?
If your machine is sending lots of email without you knowing it, it may be a zombie. Zombies are preventable, but may be difficult to clean up.
How do I change my router's password?
Changing your router’s password is important, but the steps aren’t always obvious. I’ll walk through changing my router’s password.
DropMyRights – Login as Administrator, but run select applications with limitations
DropMyRights is a small program that lets you securely run programs with more restrictions than they might get based on your login account.
What does it mean when a window turns white?
It’s an application’s job in Windows to draw what it wants to display in its window. A white window typically means that the application is unable to.
Do I need a file shredder for my USB Flash Drive?
Shredders or Secure Delete tools actually address two distinct problems, only one of which applies to Flash. Addressing the other could be harmful.
AutoHotkey – Mouse and Keyboard Remapping, Macros and Hotkeys
AutoHotkey is a free and powerful utility that allows you to remap, or even reprogram, your keyboard key sequences and more.
How do I block porn?
Blocking pornography isn’t always as simple as we’d like. However OpenDNS provides one of the easier solutions, particularly for an entire network.
